Arteris, Fain Flinn , Keio and Sharrlaya try to help the troglodyte guide, killing the leech on him.
Desmond, Sara, Ludovico, Retameron and Cardia remove and kill the leeches attacking Halia and Sam.
Taran hits the leech attacking Lucius, but the warrior fails to inflict a serious wound on the creature, which trashes and moves in the water. Bofar hits the leech attacking it, but the creature does not stop at keeps coming, even if the dwarf manages at least to keep it away from his skin.
Bellithiel tries to help Kesh, while Taradain and Alexei are fighting their own leeches, without great success for now.
Lucius and Taradain begin feeling weak on the point of fainting, and Kesh is in the same condition.

Lucius cannot burn the leech as it is half submerged in water. Bofar hits his one, keeping it away. Now only five leeches are left, and so everyone else come near you, Taradain, Kesh and Alexei to help you kill or at least remove the animals. With their help, all the creatures are killed or driven away. Soon Kesh and Alexei are able to heal theirs and yours wounds.
"Swamp sometimes wants a blood tribute. We lucky it did not take a life", the guide says.
"I am starting to understand why so few came out of here alive", Retameron says.
"Indeed, but we have to go on. We are doing this for the many Skarda kidnapped and for the future of Karameikos. We cannot fail", Arteris says.

By evening, you are on the northern shore of the Dragos river. Your guide says the territory of the chameleon men is over the river, but for now you find a shore where it is possible to camp. Crossing the river however will not be easy, as it is over 200 yards wide, with a strong current. After a brief discussion, it is decided tomorrow Cardia will fly over it with a rope, to create a line for the rafts. As the one you currently have are small, you still have to build much bigger ones, a task which will probably take all the next morning.
Being in the swamp, you establish double guards during the night. In the middle of it, during the turn of Ludovico and Lucius, suddenly Lucius hear Ludovico crying in alarm, and see a very big crocodile 20 feet long taking him by a leg and dragging him fast to the river.

Ludovico cries and tries to stab the crocodile.
Lucius runs to the shore, but he is still far away, as he was guarding the other side of the camp. Kesh is the first to react, bashing the crocodile hard in its skull. The massive beast however seems hardly bothered by the blow, and just keep going to the water, bringing Ludovico with him as a ragged doll.

Kesh keeps attacking the crocodile, entering the water as he can, and Bofar does the same, trying to avoid falling into it. Halia and Cardia sends magical darts against the crocodile, and Taran and Bellithiel hits it with arrows. The beast is disturbed enough to let Ludovico go, and Kesh is quick to grab him and take him ashore.
Sara send a light on the crocodile eye, and the animal, scared, runs away deep into the waters.
Kesh and Alexei soon heal Ludovico.
"This swamp is an endless string of dangers, and I've been in pretty dangerous places", Retameron says.
You soon go back to sleep, but increase the guards to three.
The next morning, as planned, Cardia flies over the river to tie the rafts. You cross the waters safely, but when the last raft is almost on the other shore, the troglodyte guide tells you to stay still.
You look around and you see there is a dozen of strange humanoids among the woods. They blend among the trees in shades of green and brown, and have facial features that slightly resemble chameleons. All are armed with dangerous looking blowguns.
"Chameleon men", the troglodyte guide says.

The troglodyte guide tries to communicate in several languages with the creatures and Desmond cautiously tries to show them some silver and gold but they do not seem much interested. After a while one of them say something to the guide, indicating to the south.
Shuur, the troglodyte, says they want you to leave, as soon as possible. Desmond and Retameron tell the guide to try offering them something to trade or informations, but the chameleon men are not persuaded, and instit that you leave.
You have no other choice than go south as directed. The sun is hot today and the air very humid. Fortunately you have the oils to keep mosquitoes away. The swamp is alive with many insects, frogs, lizards , birds and other animals, but nothing big comes your way. As usual, you have to proceed partially on foot and partially on rafts, and often double back when you meet some unpassable quicksand area or large lakes of water and mud.
Ludovico during the day says he suspects some lizardmen are following you, possibly from the group of the elf you left in the previous troglodyte town.
By evening, you reach a grove of oak trees near a small river. Near the center of the oak grove, rests a rotting stump. A scattering of rocks is gathered close to the stump.
"This place is indicated on my map as the location where Rosentos' expedition began almost a century ago, from here we should be able to follow his search of the Orb", Desmond says.
"The place is not bad for a camp, but we are very near to the border of the swamp now, and the forest to the east is infested with gnolls, so any fire would have to be carefully sheltered", Bellithiel says.
Following her advice, you build a small camp, leaving three people on guard during the night.
You are awaken suddenly in the middle of it, when Sam cries in alarm. He was on guard duty with Alexei and Bellithiel. Near the human cleric there is a translucent ghost, a man dressed in tattered, timeworn clothes. Its head lolls strangely to one side, and there are dark rope burns about his neck. Alexei tries to say something, but the ghost touches him and disappear with a flash of light and a laughter.
Alexei stand still, looking in the dark.

"Some types of ghost are not harmful, they only want to tell something, Alexei now seems in trance", Kesh says, raising his holy symbol, and asking the immobile Alexei what he wants.
Alexei soon speaks with a stange, haunted voice.
"I am Captain Grisbaldos, who General Rosentos hanged because I warned the men about the folly of entering the swamp", he says, in a strangely accented and archaic Thyatian.

"Beware of the hydras, we lost many men to them! General Rosentos wanted to go west, and then north, as he was sure the Orb and many other lost treasures were there. Rosentos has not found the Orb yet, or he would have used it for his purpose. Because I know he is not dead even if he should have been long years ago. Thyatians, if you value the future of your people, you have to pledge to slay him", Alexei says in the strange voice.

"Not much more I know of where to find him, only this I can tell you, you have to go west, but beware of the slough of despair. Then you have to go north, passing the great river, but beware of the hydras. You will be held accountable for your pledge". That said, Alexei stop talking and falls down.
Kesh kneel near him and try to revive him with some clean water. After a while Alexei open his eyes.
"What happened, where did the ghost go?"

"The map indeed indicates the expedition originally went west. That Slough however is not on the map. I read in the commentary Grisbaldo was executed for rebellion, but if Rosentos truly became an undead, this could be quite dangerous", Desmond says.
"We heard about the Church of Nyx. Not all undead are necessarily evil or automatically enemies. Still now probably Grisbaldo will return to haunt us if we do not comply to the pledge of killing Rosentos", Alexei says.

"I cannot disagree with you, Bofar, but as my teacher used to say: 'Sometimes you got to run to the nosferatu to avoid the vampire'. It is not widely known, but there are lesser evils in undeath and it may be better to bargain with them that face both enemies and die", Kesh says.
"Our goal is the Orb. We have to get it by whatever mean, but still maintaining an honourable course. We'll face what we'll have to face", Arteris says.
The next morning the sky is clouding when you soon proceed to the west as the ghost said and Desmond's map indicates. The swamp today is breezy and cold. The wind ripples the patches of open water between the reeds. Geese take wing, their forlorn honks silencing the few crickets that are out on this bleak day. By midday you reach a pool of stagnant water that lies beyond a thick stand of reeds. In the center of the pool is a hemisphere of darkness. Suddenly, a piercing scream bursts from the heart of the blackness. The reeds explode in a flurry of life as swampbirds shoot up toward the dark sky.

"Someone needs help, we must go there", Retameron says, looking at the hemisphere of darkness and walking to it.
Halia and Cardia nods and follow him, while Sam looks confused. "We must go", Fain Flinn says as well, and Arteris, Sharllaya and Keio follow him too. Bellithiel, Taran and Kesh as well walks to the hemisphere.
"Something strange is happening here", Alexei says.

Desmond and Alexei try to argue with Retameron, Arteris and the others, but they insist someone in the darkness needs their help. Shuur refuses to enter the darkness, but Alexei and Sara assure Desmond there is a faint magic around, but nothing evil or hostile.
Eventually Retameron, Halia, Cardia, Taran, Bellithiel, Fain, Arteris, Sharllaya and Keio enter the darkness, and come outside only a while later, looking happy and calm. They say the darkness is just a region of peace, and invite the others to enter too.
Desmond remains unconvinced, and does not enter.

After the experience, Retameron, Halia, Cardia, Taran, Bellithiel, Fain, Arteris, Sharllaya and Keio seems more energic and motivated than before, and insist in guiding the group on the front. Desmond asks again Alexei and Sara to check them, but the clerics say it only seem as they received some sort of minor blessing.
Soon you reach the Achelos river, which is more than half a mile wide and with a strong current.
"No way we can cross with a rope. We will probably have to build bigger rafts and cross diagonally several miles south to the other shore", Retameron says.
Shuur the guide agrees. It is risky but the only other alternatives are to wait for human ships, which occasionally sail the river, or ask for the help of the hobgoblins of Silnithiniv, which are normally not too hostile to travellers.